The present invention relates to well completion equipment, and more specifically to mechanisms for actuating downhole well tools that require pressurized hydraulic fluid to operate.
It is well known that many downhole devices require power to operate, or shift from position to position in accordance with the device""s intended purpose. A surface controlled subsurface safety valve (SCSSV) requires hydraulic and/or electrical energy from a source located at the surface. Setting a packer that is sealably attached to a string of production tubing requires either a tubing plug together with application of pressure on the tubing, or a separate and retrievable xe2x80x9csetting toolxe2x80x9d to actuate and set the packer in the tubing. Sliding sleeves or sliding xe2x80x9cside doorxe2x80x9d devices may also require hydraulic activation. It will become apparent to anyone of normal skill in the art that many downhole devices requiring power for actuation can be adapted to utilize this invention. Such devices may comprise: packers, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,273,109, 5,311,938, 5,433,269, and 5,449,040; perforating equipment, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,449,039, 5,513,703, and 5,505,261; locking or unlocking devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,353,877 and 5,492,173; valves, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,394,951 and 5,503,229; gravel packs, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,531,273 and 5,597,040; flow control devices or well remediation tools, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,429,747, and 4,434,854; and plugs or expansion joints, of the type well known to those in the art.
Each of these well known devices has a method of actuation, or actuation mechanism that is integral and specific to the tool. Consequently, in the past, most of these well known devices have required an independent source of power. There is a need for a device that can provide one or more sources of pressurized hydraulic fluid into the downhole environment, enabling actuation of any number of downhole tools. The device should be adaptable for various downhole tasks in various downhole tools, and be simple to allow for redress in the field. It should also be adaptable for permanent installation in the completion, thereby allowing multiple functions to be performed on multiple tools located therein, all controlled by an operator at a control panel on the earth""s surface.